Deuteronomy 32:48-52

2. The announcement of Moses’ death 32:48-52

The same day Moses gave his song to the Israelites God directed him to prepare for his death (Deuteronomy 32:48; cf. Numbers 27:12-14). Mt. Nebo is one of the peaks in the Abarim range that stands to the east of the Arabah northeast of the Dead Sea. This mountain range runs generally from north to south. People in that culture associated heights with nearness to deity, so perhaps both Aaron and Moses died and were buried on mountains to symbolize their nearness to God. [Note: Merrill, Deuteronomy, p. 430.]

God permitted Moses to see the whole land of Canaan even though his sin at Kadesh prevented him from entering it.

"The Lord had told him to speak to the rock (Numbers 20:8), the mere act of speaking being designed to demonstrate the power of God who creates by the spoken word. To strike the rock was to introduce an interruptive element and thus to diminish the significance of the powerful word. By doing this, Moses betrayed not only anger and disobedience but he correspondingly reflected on the God whom he served by implying that God could not bring forth water by the divine word alone." [Note: Ibid., p. 429.]

Moses’ sin lay in his failure to honor God as He deserved. This is essentially the warning of the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43). Moses had failed God as Israel had failed Him. Moses warned Israel about failing Him again in the future.